How you have felt, O men of Athens, at hearing the speeches of
my accusers, I cannot tell; but I know that their persuasive words almost made
me forget who I was, such was the effect of them; and yet they have hardly
spoken a word of truth. But many as their falsehoods were, there was one of
them which quite amazed me: I mean when they told you to be upon your guard,
and not to let yourself be deceived by the force of my eloquence. They ought
to have been ashamed of saying this, because they were sure to be detected as
soon as I opened my lips and displayed my deficiency; they certainly did
appear to be most shameless in saying this, unless by the force of eloquence
they mean the force of truth: for then I do indeed admit that I am eloquent.
But in how different a way from theirs! Well, as I was saying, they have
hardly uttered a word, or not more than a word, of truth; but you shall hear
from me the whole truth: not, however, delivered after their manner, in a set
oration duly ornamented with words and phrases. No, indeed! but I shall use
the words and arguments which occur to me at the moment; for I am certain that
this is right, and that at my time of life I ought not to be appearing before
you, O men of Athens, in the character of a juvenile orator: let no one expect
this of me. And I must beg of you to grant me one favor, which is this- if you
hear me using the same words in my defence which I have been in the habit of
using, and which most of you may have heard in the agora, and at the tables of
the money-changers, or anywhere else, I would ask you not to be surprised at
this, and not to interrupt me. For I am more than seventy years of age, and
this is the first time that I have ever appeared in a court of law, and I am
quite a stranger to the ways of the place; and therefore I would have you
regard me as if I were really a stranger, whom you would excuse if he spoke in
his native tongue, and after the fashion of his country: that I think is not
an unfair request. Never mind the manner, which may or may not be good; but
think only of the justice of my cause, and give heed to that: let the judge
decide justly and the speaker speak truly.